El rei Pirro de Roma en el "Dotzè del Cristià” de Francesc Eiximenis. Crítica encoberta de la política sarda del rei Pere de Catalunya

Abstract

The chapters of Francesc Eiximenis’ Dotzè discussed in this paper describe the sufferings of soldiers during a siege. The worst one is that their king has sworn to endure it all to the bitter end. Eiximenis has an imaginary Greek philosopher offer strange solutions for most difficulties and then states three principles: a tactical retreat or flight is not shameful; a mentally deranged king does not have to be obeyed; a good king listens to his advisors. In this paper it is suggested that these chapters are a veiled criticism of King Peter the Third's lifelong, but frustrated, plans to fully subjugate Sardinia. Eiximenis probably was present at Peter's speech in 1354, where he announced his decision to lead a campaign against the island himself. He was certainly aware of the great sufferings during the siege of Alguer, since the King mentionned them in dozens of letters -in one he added his poem in praise of Sardinia's "good air" - and later in his Chronicle. The subjugation of all of the island was a fixed idea of the King, and we can assume that his stubbornness was lauded in public speeches during the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of his coronation in 1386. 1386 was the year Eiximenis wrote the Dotzè. He hid his criticism of King Peter -in Catalan Pere­by talking about a King Pirro, but he gives a hint that this name is a code by adding the nonsense that Pirro was king of Rome.